Thanks! for Great Impressions Stamps

Yea!  It's Saturday, my day to post on the Great Impressions Stamps blog.

I recently needed to make a dozen thank you cards.  I wanted a design I could mass produce that would still look like some time had been put into them.

As usual, I reached for Great Impressions Stamps.  I used H251 - Tall Tulips and some distress inks to create these cards:

I used distress markers directly on the H251 - Tall Tulips rubber stamp.  After huffing a bit of moisture on it, I stamped it on the white paper.

A strip of designer paper and a couple of dies (by Paper Wishes and Craftin' Desert Divas) finish off the card.  The card base is from Simon Says Stamp.

Great Impressions Stamps has an Anything Goes Challenge going on all month.  Come join the fun here!

Don't forget to visit the Great Impressions Stamps Store to see the other elegant floral stamps, plus all the other wonderful Great Impressions Stamps.

You. are. old.

There's a new challenge blog in town and it launches today!  The Inspiration Destination Challenge blog starts it's first challenge today, and the theme is ALWAYS ATG!  So, come join myself and the rest of the design team, and have FUN!

Speaking of fun, I had a blast creating this card.  I used a digi from our first sponsor, Fitztown:

The digi is from the Etsy shop, Morgan's Fae World.  It is part of the "Set of 8 Vintage Cars".  I wanted the digi to look old, vintage, rusty.  I used Tim Holt Distress markers and a water brush to get this look.  The sentiment is from Unity Stamp Company. The papers and medal studs are from Close To My Heart.

Come join our challenge this week and every week at Inspiration Destination!

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

Sister Act Card Challenge -- ATG
D.L. Art Thankful Thursday -- October Linky Party
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge -- Transport It

Season's Greetings, with Bling! for Eureka Stamps

It's Monday, and time for a new challenge at Eureka Stamps. The theme this week is "Add some bling".

I've been trying to make a Christmas card here and there, and I used a beautiful digi from Eureka Stamps to create this one.  

I colored the Season's Greetings Cardinal Card with Tim Holtz distress markers and a blending pen, using watercolor paper.  The card stock and glitter trim is from Close To My Heart. The bling is from my stash.

Cardinals make me happy.  I love their song, and their beautiful colors.  We had 5 of them at our bird feeder a couple days ago and it still makes me smile whenever I think of it.  And, I smile knowing I have another Christmas card to add to the stack! 

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Sentiments -- Christmas in September

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge -- Make it Colorful

DeCosse's Dynamite Doodles -- 12 months of Christmas link up
Winter Wonderland -- Layer it Up
Christmas Card Challenges -- ATG
Hiding in my craft room -- any holiday

Happy {watercolor} Bird for Timeless Twine

Hello, and happy Wednesday!  I have been so excited, just waiting to share this project with you today.  I had so much fun creating it!  I seem to be my happiest when playing with watercolors, ink, and of course, twine!

This month, on the Timeless Twine blog, we are working with the theme, Fly into Fall, and this adorable picture and color scheme:

One of our projects this month has to be something other than a card.  Using the inspiration from this picture, here's what I created:

This happy little bird was created with a Unity Stamp of the Week, "Wishing you Happiness".  I used Tim Holtz Distress Markers and a water brush to achieve this look. I cut the oval shape out with a Spellbinders die.  The box was cut out on my Cricut, using the Close To My Heart Cricut Artiste Collection.  The designer paper is from Close To My Heart.  The finishing touches are all those beautiful colors of twine wrapped together and tied in a big bow.

I used all 5 colors of Timeless Twine shown in the picture above on this box:

Chocolate Chip

Aqua Blue

Cherry Red

Olive Green

Pumpkin Orange

Make sure to visit the Timeless Twine blog each day for lots of great inspiration and ideas.

She really is a happy little bird, isn't she?

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

Not Just Cards -- ATG

All Crafts Blog -- Anything But A Card

Craftin' Desert Divas -- Fall Linky Party
D.L. Art Thankful Thursday -- Sept Linky Party
Bitten By The Bug 2 -- Use Any Cricut Cartridge
Crafty Sentiments -- Autumn Colors

Hello! Guest designing for Not Just Cards

Hello, and happy Monday!  It's a busy day on my blog today!  This is one of 3 posts.  I'm guest designing today, representing DigiStamps4Joy, guest designing on the Not Just Cards Challenge blog.  So, of course, I made something OTHER than a card:

This tag uses 3 DigiStamps4Joy digis -- Tag It (set of 4), Swirl 1, and Dragonfly. I colored the dragonfly with Tim Holtz Distress Markers and a water pen, then used a Wink of Stella pen over the top.  IRL, it really sparkles and shimmers!  the arrow and button are from Fancy Pants.  The flower was a find from the bargain bin at Michaels.  
Check out this new challenge blog -- Not Just Cards -- very few rules -- LOTS of fun!

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

Not Just Cards -- ATG
All Crafts Challenge -- Anything But A Card

Determination

Do you ever feel like giving up?  I'm usually a very determined person, but every now and then, life wears you down.  I bought this stamp awhile ago because I found it inspirational.  It came in handy when my husband had a particularly bad day at work and I wanted to make him a special card.

There's 2 things you need to know before I show you the card.

First, my husband loves to ride bike.  And I mean RIDE bike.  Last Saturday, he rode 76 miles, just for the FUN of it.  He lives to ride his bike.

Second, I wanted to make a card that would fit the theme of the Path of Positivity Challenge blog this month -- Determination.  This card accomplished both:

Do you remember learning to ride a bike?  Now, that took determination!  And persistence, and a bit of trust and courage.  My husband liked this card so much, he got tears in his eyes.  I believe it might end up in a frame so he can take it to work and have it near his desk.
The image and sentiment stamp are both from Great Impressions Stamps.  I used Tim Holtz Distress inks and a water pen on the image and sentiment. Everything else is from my stash. 
Determination -- it is a quality that gets us far in life. Never give up!

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

Path of Positivity Challenge -- Determination

Sister Act Card Challenge -- ATG

D.L. Art Thankful Thursday -- September Linky Party
Word Art Wednesday -- ATG
AUD Sentiments Challenge -- For the Men in Our Life

Growing in Unity Blog Hop -- Too Sweet!

Looking for the Sunday Sketch & Stamp Birthday Hop?  Click HERE!
Looking for the 3 Girl JAM "All Things Spring" Blog Hop?  Click HERE!

I was sooo excited when I was asked if I wanted to hop with some other Growing In Unity girls today.  Having a whole week to play with Unity stamps is great fun.  Getting a bonus day, out of the blue, was a wonderful surprise!

Here's the hop order, in case you just stumbled across my blog:

1. Paula McClane --http://scrapaddictsattic.blogspot.com/
2. Corrie Wagner -- www.corriescrafts.blogspot.com
3. Brittany Kohl -- http://britkdesigns.blogspot.com
4. Jessica Yoder-Jones -- http://countryscrapfarmgirl.blogspot.com
5. Julie Odil -- http://muddypawsinkyfingers.blogspot.com (you're HERE!)
6. Karen Nofziger -- http://karey2005.blogspot.com (go HERE next)
7. KristyLee Deyette -- kristyleesworld.WordPress.com

We were all given this coming week's Unity Stamp of the Week to work with.  You'll see 7 different takes on the same stamp -- fun idea!

I love shaped cards, so here's what I did:

I started out making my shaped card.  It is a cutting file from The Cutting Cafe. You can find it HERE.  The papers are from October Afternoon, and are actually Christmas papers, but I liked the colors for a strawberry.  After I got the shaped card assembled, I stamped the berries image on watercolor paper.  I used my Tim Holtz distress markers and water, with a paint brush, and painted the berries.  I stamped the sentiment directly on the DP.  A little embellishing with 3 Girl JAM ribbon and some bling from Close To My Heart, and my card was complete.

Before I send you off hopping, I want to offer you a little blog candy.  I am a Unity Stamp of the Week member, so I will get 2 of these stamp sets.  If you would like one for yourself, please follow my blog.  In your comments, tell my that you would like the set, and I'll include you in the drawing.  I'll announce the winner next Friday at Friends With Flair.

Now off you go to the fabulously talented Karen's blog.  You'll love what she did with this set!

Frosty Winter Friends -- for Sunday Sketch And Stamp

Hello, I hope you are enjoying the weekend.  It's time for another challenge at Sunday Sketch & Stamp.  This week's sketch looks like this:

I had a lot of fun with this one!  It seemed to have unlimited possibilities for me.  Here's what I did with it:

Besides the fantastic sketch, I used a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp, "Frosty Winter Friends" -- I think it's 'snow' cute!  I colored the image with Tim Holtz Distress markers and a water pen. The designer papers are a 6x6 pad by My Mind's Eye -- 'Tis the Season.  I also embossed some of my favorite chipboard snowflakes by UmWow Studio.  LOVE that stuff!

It's been a long, cold, snowy winter here in NW WI.  Somehow it doesn't seem so tough with these guys close by!  Have a great week.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Kraftin' Kimmie Wonderful Wednesday -- anything goes

Sister Act Card Challenge -- anything goes

JustBCreativeCrazy -- February Linky Party

Bloggers Challenge -- 2 or more patterned papers
Craftitude Challenges -- Anything Goes
A Creative Romance -- Let's Get Sentimental
D.L. Art, Thankful Thursday - February Linky Party
 

Growing in Unity, Day 3 -- Trying Something New!

Looking for the Timeless Twine Simply White Blog Hop? Click HERE!

Hello, sweet friends, and thanks for visiting today.  If this is your first day here, don't forget to go back and leave comments on the other Growing In Unity posts for a chance to win 2 free Itty Bitties from Unity Stamp Company.  Isn't that awesome?!?

Today, I wanted to try something I hadn't tried before, so I got out my Tim Holtz Distress Markers.  I have 12 of them -- just got them -- and hadn't had a chance to use them.  Here's what I did with them for my first attempt at distress markers...

I used an Itty Bitty Stamp of the Week on this, "Beautiful You". Designer papers are My Mind's Eye, Follow Your Heart, Be Amazing 6x6 pad.  

Here's a close up of the butterflies and twine:

I used two colors of Timeless Twine on this card -- Lemonade Yellow and Aqua Blue.

I hope to see you again tomorrow for day 4 of Growing In Unity.